23-Jun-2016 03:06 PM

Total Imaging Support Team

Posts: 17

Hi Jon,

Head strikes are the result of the printer head-height and vacuum strength being set incorrectly for that specific paper type.

When these options are not set correctly, the media can curl upwards into the path of the oncoming printhead(s)... If the settings are slightly to moderately out, then the printhead can 'graze' the media and leave some ink residue behind. If the settings are wildly out, then the printhead can crash into the media altogether and cause lasting damage to the printheads and carriage assembly. These settings can be altered on the printer control panel for each media type by using the [media detail settings] menu, accessed by pressing [ok] from the main/default paper menu. Try increasing both the printhead height and the vacuum strength for better results.

If you are using paper/media rolls that are not Canon branded, then you are always better off creating a custom media type using the Canon Media Configuration Tool.

Many customers don't even know it exists, but it is hugely powerful and will enable you to: Create your own custom name for the media on the control panel of the machine and in the driver. Set the maximum ink saturation levels for the paper, potentially increasing the vibrancy of your prints. Set the feed speed to reduce the level of banding. Set custom printhead height and vacuum strengths. You can download both a copy of the Media Configuration Tool for the iPF8300 and a copy of the User Manual here

Page 589 for Windows users and page 618 for Mac users. If you would like some further advice about these issues, feel free to give us a call.